Photo Editing Case Study: Shanghai

I’m not big on cities. But photographing cityscapes makes it all worthwhile! And Shanghai must have one of the prettiest skylines I have ever seen.

When I visited China a couple of years ago, I had an extra day to explore Shanghai and get used to the time change. It was hot, muggy and raining. So when I processed this photo I decided to make an abstract impressionist version to replicate the feeling of the place I had when I was there.

In this photo editing case study, I show you how I processed the image from beginning to end using Lightroom, Photoshop, and Topaz Impression.

Comments

Hi Anne, love the tutorial and the effect with the Topaz filter. I’ve used Topaz filters for some years, mainly with the 3D pictures I used to create but not a lot with my photography. I think I might start playing around with the Topaz plugins again and see what I can create using my photos. Thanks again for the videos.

Hi Bob, I’m glad I’ve inspired you to try something new with your photography! The Topaz filters are a lot of fun to use. There are so many options it can be hard to choose, and then once you choose you can fiddle with the settings inside the preset to get even more unique effects.

I’m enjoying making the videos, so I plan to do more. Thanks for your comments!

I feel that the two photos are totally different! One is a straight photograph and the other digital art with an entirely different feel. I’m sure the purists out there would think they are different.

That’s a great question about what Man Ray would have done with the software available today. Since he was a surrealist and very experimental in his art, I’m sure he would find unique ways to use all the tools that are available today. It’s a bit like asking what Henry Ford would think of a Tesla.

I could certainly push this piece a lot further down the digital art path but this result is exactly what I was trying to achieve. Just a bit of blur, texture and rain to give it the feel I had on the day I was there.

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I’m Anne. This is my new life.

I traded in a traditional career for a new life as an outdoor photographer and writer. I live in an RV and travel around North America photographing beautiful places. I write about travel, photography, and how changing your life is not as scary as it seems. Read More…

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